« The Naval Sea Systems Command Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity, » the Pentagon added.
Work will be performed in Morgan City, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by May 2021.
On April 2018, Swiftships was awarded a US$18 million contract for the detail design and construction of the first LCU 1700 craft.
This contract contains options for the construction of up to 31 craft with the latest delivery date, if all options are exercised, in 2027. The cumulative value of the contract will be US$429.4 million, according to the US Navy.
The LCU-1700 will replace the existing LCU 1610 class of amphibious landing craft on a one for one basis. LCU 1700 will be a similarly rugged steel craft which will recapitalize the LCU 1610 capabilities and have a design life of 30 years.
LCU 1700 craft will be a highly reliable and fuel-efficient heavy lift platform whose capability will be complementary to the faster air cushion landing craft which have a significantly shorter range, smaller payload capacity, no habitability, and operating hour limitations.
The LCU 1700 craft has a range of 1200 nautical miles at 8 knots and a crew of 13. They are being designed to transport up to two M1A1 Main Battle Tanks or 350 combat troops.
